Roosevelt

It was a rather odd juxtaposition: While filmmaker Ken Burns discussed his latest project on Prohibition in a Beverly Hilton ballroom, many of the journalists in attendance were guzzling their after-dinner wine and beer. And what followed the final PBS press conference of the day? A cocktail party, of course.

“Prohibition,” a three-part documentary that examines the rise and fall of the controversial 18th Amendment to the Constitution, is set to roll out on Oct. 2 — just a week after the Season 2 premiere of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” a drama series that deals with the same subject matter.

What does Burns think of that show? Turns out he’s a big fan.

“(HBO) has another huge hit on their hands in the mode of ‘The Sopranos’,” Burns said. “And they’re not that dissimilar. Americans always love to watch people who get to kill the people who piss them off and women who take their clothes off at the drop of a hat. They’ve done their homework. (“Boardwalk Empire”) is very complex and nuanced … We’re always amazed when we’ve done films that fit into the zeitgeist of the moment.”

When asked whether he was a teetotaler, Burns joked, “I had my first drink of the year today. I usually don’t drink because I have so much work but I thought, just to make you all happy, I’d have one here.”

As for future projects, before the press conference Burns said he has laid out a 10-year plan with films that include the history of the Dust Bowl; a look back at the infamous 1989 Cental Park Jogger assault and rape case; a 14-hour examination of the lives and legacies of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt; a biography of Jackie Robinson; an extensive series on Vietnam; the history of country music; and a biography of Ernest Hemingway.